Earth Overshoot Day marks the point in the year when humanity has used up as many of the Earth’s resources as all ecosystems can renew in a year. The Global Footprint Network calculates Earth Overshoot Day each year. A coalition of civil society organizations is urging the German government to take decisive action, as the serious consequences of overuse and the climate crisis become increasingly apparent worldwide and in Germany. Effective incentives to conserve resources could help.

• „Rather than hitting an ecological wall, Germany would benefit from a government that advocates more ambitious policies in the areas of energy, transport and agriculture, and that frees itself from an economy obsessed with growth and the intensive use of resources.“ Mathis Wackernagel, Global Footprint Network
• „We cannot afford to lose any more ground. We must start taking consistent action. Our economy and our way of life are causing environmental destruction that will affect future generations.“ Jan Göldner, Federal Executive Committee of NAJU (an independent youth organization of NABU, the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union)
• „My generation is tired of standing by and watching our livelihoods be destroyed. It’s time for politicians to make decisions that will stop the systematic destruction of our planet. Otherwise, by 2050, we will be living on a broken Earth rife with social conflict.“ Myriam Rapior, Federal Executive Committee of BUNDjugend (youth organization of BUND, the Friends of the Earth Germany)
• „Many examples of solidarity-based economic models already exist, such as cooperatives, which operate outside the logic of profit and growth. The federal government must strengthen projects that promote solidarity-based coexistence through legislation and establish democratic control and co-determination in the economy.“ Kristina Utz, FairBindung

Background on Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day marks the day when we begin living beyond our ecological means. From January 1 to Earth Overshoot Day, humanity consumes as many natural resources as the Earth’s ecosystems can replenish in a year. In other words, the world’s population currently consumes the equivalent of approximately 1.75 Earths. If everyone worldwide lived as Germans do, Earth Overshoot Day would come even earlier. The Global Footprint Network, in collaboration with York University, provides the ecological accounting used to calculate this day.